


Love is a Ghost

by nocturneforest



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Chaptered, F/M, Fluff, Lieutenant Duckling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-23 06:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6107845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nocturneforest/pseuds/nocturneforest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young Emma is bored with the daily life of being heir to her parent's throne. That all changes when she meets a young Killian Jones.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Sea

There was something about the sea that had always been strangely calming to Emma. Perhaps it was the way it was always moving, always changing, and yet somehow managed to stay the same. Or perhaps it was the way that it was filled with possibility; it was so vast and endless and there was so much of it to explore. Or at least, that’s what Emma would like to do, but being the heir to the throne, she had other responsibilities. 

She sat on the same rock that she always did, and looked out over the boundless sea. The early morning fog rolled across it delicately, as if it were the clouds that had been pulled down from the sky, to rest upon the glass sea that stretched out in front of her. The water did not ripple or quiver, rather it sat perfectly still, reflecting the landscape as if it were a mirror. This was where she came to think. 

She’d escaped her bedchamber early in the morning, before the sun had risen, snuck down through the dark corridors of the castle, and ridden her horse to where she was now. This had become routine for her. Her parent’s didn’t like her leaving the castle too often, so sneaking out seemed to be her only option. She didn’t mind it though - it gave her a chance to explore the land and time to think. Riding always helped her to think. 

It was just three weeks ago when she’d discovered this particular spot. She’d been riding her horse through the forest, when she’d come across a path that led her to the sea. She rode it a while, and when she finally reached the sea, she’d tied up her horse and walked along the coast. It was then that she’d found the rock. It jetted out over the water quite a ways, and nothing surrounded it but shallow, sandy water. It was here that she would come to sit, each morning. Some days she’d wade in the shallow water (though this got her long dresses wet, which almost led to her getting caught from time to time), others she would skip stones, and others she would just sit and think. 

And goodness, did Emma have a lot to think about. She was the heir to the throne of her parent’s kingdom - the largest in all of the enchanted forest. With no younger siblings, being the sole heir meant that Emma was one day expected to take the throne once she’d married and grown old enough, but for now she was only 14, so majority of her responsibilities were to learn about the kingdom, and how to someday be a proper queen. Unfortunately for Emma, this meant spending a large portion of each day locked up in the castle, listening to her mother go on and on about her duties. 

It also meant hours upon hours of pointless courting. Every week, her parents would host a ball in which they invited all the lords from neighboring kingdoms, so that Emma would have the opportunity to meet some of her possible suitors. The problem was, at 14, she had little interest in her suitors, though it wasn’t like any of them were half decent, or worth considering in the first place. 

She allowed these thoughts to flood her mind as she sat upon her rock, looking off into the distance. After enough time, she stuck her foot in the ice cold water. It instantly sent a chill up her spine, though a part of her craved more, and so ever so slowly she inched her way into the water until it reached just passed her knees. Her delicate white gown had gotten soaked, though Emma didn’t really care, she had plenty of other gowns and was sure it would dry on the ride back anyhow. 

In the water, on the bed of the sea, a dark red rock caught the corner of Emma’s eye. The early morning light shone through it, making it glow a deep red. Ever so slowly, she bent down, and picked it up, examining it in her hands. She turned it round once or twice, studying it’s every edge. It was smooth, for the most part, though one side of it was jaded, almost as if it had been broken. Carefully, she slipped it into her dress pocket, and as the sun began to peer above the horizon, she turned and began to make her way back to the castle. 

***

Killian turned his ring in his finger, studying it as he leaned over the edge of the Jolly Rodger. The sound of the choppy waters crashing on the hull of the ship beneath him was somewhat calming, mostly for its familiarity. 

He’d spent most of his life out at sea, sailing alongside his brother and father, and so the sound of the waves and the comfort of the sea had become his home. It had always been strangely comforting to him, even before he was a sailor. 

The early morning's light reflected off of the ruby of his ring, allowing his hand to light up in hues of red and amber. The colours instantly brought back memories of when he’d first been given it. He’d been out on his first full voyage with his father, when they’d pulled off to the cove of a nearby kingdom for a nights rest. He’d been swimming in the water with Liam when he’d found the gemstone - a large rock, no smaller than the size of his fist. When he’d brought it back onto the ship to show his father, his dad split the gemstone in half, and tossed one half back into the water. As a present for Killian having completed his first full voyage, his father had had the part of the gemstone that they’d kept fashioned into a ring for Killian to wear. This way, as his father said, so long as he wore the ring, he’d be connected to the sea, as the other half of the ring was somewhere within it. 

But everything was different now. 

It had been 3 years since his father had left Killian and his brother alone with the Jolly Rodger. They’d woken up one morning, and he was nowhere in sight, not a trace of him remained. He’d taken all of his belongings, as well as his crew, leaving the Jolly Roger to Killian and Liam alone.   
A hand on Killian’s shoulder startled him, pulling him away from his ring and the memories of his father, and anchoring him back down to reality. 

“Morning, brother.” Liam’s voice was comforting to Killian, ever since his father had left, the two had grown very close. 

“Morning.” Killian mumbled under his breath. 

The two of them had been working on getting a crew together for the past couple months. They’d been promised by the King that once they’d got a full crew, they’d be able to sail under his command, and that he’d fund them as he once did their father, though so far they hadn’t gotten much luck. 

“Thinking too much won’t get you anywhere, Killian.” As much as Killian hated his older brother’s advice, he knew he was right. His thoughts had been occupied by his father’s leaving for quite some time now, and while it was evident that Liam’s had too, Liam tried his best not to let it show. 

“I’m getting closer to getting us a crew,” Liam changed topics, “We only need a sailing master now, and apparently there’s one looking for work in Misthaven. It’s only a two days journey from here, and seeing as we’ve got most of the crew all set, we could easily go pick them up.” 

The thought of sailing again instantly helped to pick Killian up. They hadn’t set sail for the past three years, and there was nothing Killian wanted more than to get back out to the ocean. 

“I’d like that.” Killian said quietly, and with a nod, Liam went to prepare the crew to set sail. Not more than an hour later, the ship was fully rigged once more, the anchors were drawn, and the ship was leaving the port, sailing off into the distance. 

***

The halls of the castle were empty this morning, as they always were at this early hour. Emma crept through the back entrance, and made her way through the kitchen, grabbing an apple and a pastry on her way. 

She’d almost made it back up to her bedchamber without notice, but was startled by her mother’s voice as it emerged from one of the corridors. 

“Emma, is that you?” Mary margaret rounded one of the corners, so that Emma was in plain sight. 

“Mom!” Crap. She was going to get caught. Her mother would surely notice the water on her dress, and then… well she didn’t want to think about what would happen next. 

“You’re up early!” Her Mother was always so chipper in the morning, though that would slowly fade when she caught a glimpse of the state of Emma’s dress. 

“Uh…” Emma stood on the stairway, her mouth hanging open, unsure of how to respond. She definitely wasn’t the sort to wake up early just to hang around the castle, in fact she hated getting up early, but if it meant a small taste of freedom, then it was worth it. 

“Oh Emma your dress!” Her Mother’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the bottom of Emma’s dress, as it was sopping wet (Emma had hoped it would dry on the ride back. It didn’t). 

“You’ve been out of the castle.” Ever so slowly, her Mother’s chipper attitude had faded, just as Emma had expected it would. 

“I was riding.” At this point she was in too deep, and she figured there was nothing to do but tell the truth, “To the shoreline, to watch the sunrise.” 

“You could have gotten hurt.” Her Mother said through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw.   
“I'm sorry I just… I never have time to myself and I barely ever leave the castle and - I wasn't trying to disobey you I just, I'm old enough to be allowed to leave the castle by myself every so often. And I wasn't being dangerous, I just wanted some time to think.” She’d known that eventually she would get caught, after all, she hadn’t exactly done the best job at attempting to hide her outings. 

“I’m just glad you’re alright. Now, you’ve got a big day ahead of you, so I would suggest you go change out of your dress and into a drier one. I just received word from a nearby kingdom that one of the King’s ships will be docking here in two days time, so of course we’ll be hosting a ball on Saturday night to welcome them. There’s plenty of preparation to be done, so go fix yourself up and I’ll meet you back here within the hour.”

Great, another ball. This was just what Emma needed right now. Another boring night of boring suitors and tight corsets and having to be constantly smiling for hours on end. And the worst part of it all was that the suitors would be from another kingdom, which would mean she would have to be on her best behaviour. 

Emma rolled her eyes, and grudgingly made her way up the staircase to her bedchamber, dreading the next couple days to come.


	2. The Whirling Waltz

Killian stood at the helm of the Jolly Rodger, watching the sun set behind the Kingdom as they pulled into its docks. It was a large kingdom for sure, Killian observed, as he stood in awe at the large castle ahead of him. It had it’s own little island, jetting out onto the vast ocean they’d just sailed across. 

It had been a two days journey, and a rather simple one at that. Killian was surprised to find that he hadn’t lost any of his knowledge when it had come to sailing - in fact, he and Liam were practically able to steer the ship without much assistance from some of the older, more experienced crew members. 

He’d forgotten how much he’d missed the sea; the smell of the salty water, the freshness of the air, the brightness of the stars as they dotted the night sky - they made him feel like he finally had purpose once more, made him feel alive. And for those brief two days, he’d almost been able to forget the loneliness that had settled into his bones as a result of his father’s leaving. And now, it would be a short two days more until the Jolly Roger could set sail indefinitely, working under the King’s command and Killian could be at sea once more - could feel alive once more. 

“Beautiful castle, isn’t it, brother?” Liam came up beside him at the helm of the ship, as the crew members began to lower the anchors in the port. 

“Aye.” Killian responded as he continued to study it. Its turrets reached high up into the sky, each one with a stained glass window at the top. In the glow of the evening sunset, something about it seemed so warm, so welcoming. 

“The rulers here have invited us to a ball this evening, in celebration of our arrival. It’s set to start an hour after sundown, so I suggest you put on your best attire, as I imagine it will be rather formal.” Liam informed him. Killian nodded, and with one final look at the castle, headed down into the captain's quarters to change. 

***

Emma squirmed as her mother tightened her corset, constricting her into the shape it formed. 

“Sorry dear, one final adjustment”, her mom announced before giving the delicate white laces a final pull and tying a large bow at the base of the corset. 

“There, now go slip on your dress and we can head down,” Mary Margaret commanded, before adding, “Most of the guests are probably already here, so we better be on our way.” 

With a nod, Emma stood up, and went behind the privacy screen in her bedroom, to where her dress awaited her. Slowly, she slipped it on over her head, and once it was on fully, she stepped out from behind the privacy screen so that her mother could tie up the back for her, and so that she could get a look at the dress in the mirror. 

She stood in front of her vanity mirror as her mother came behind her to tie it up, and as she stood, she studied her reflection in the mirror. The delicate white fabric of the dress clung to her waist, before flowing out loosely at her hips, to where it lightly brushed against the dark wooden floorboards of her bedroom. The entire dress was intricately detailed, the arms made out of a delicate floral lace that extended to cover the entire bodice. The skirt was not too poofed out as some of the skirts on her other dresses were, rather it flowed loosely with each of her movements.

“Alright, now two more final touches, and you’ll be good to go.” Her mother said as she finished lacing up the back of the dress. Emma watched as her mother drifted across the room to where she’d placed a large, wooden jewelry box on Emma’s bed. Ever so slowly, her mother lifted the lid to the jewelry box, and from it emerged a crown made of white flowers, with large delicate petals, and forest green leaves at their stems. 

“Here,” her mother said softly, as she came round behind Emma once more, and placed the crown on Emma’s head, atop of her loose, golden curls. 

“Mom it’s beautiful,” Emma whispered, taking a look at herself once again in the mirror  
.   
“You’re beautiful, Emma,” Her mom smiled, before returning to the jewellery box once more, and pulling out a long, silver chain, with a delicate silver circle hanging on it. 

“There,” Her mother said, as she fastened the clip of the necklace around Emma’s neck, “I thought you could use some sort of accessory to go nicely with that dress. This used to be my mother's, she gave it to me when I was young, younger than you are now.”

“Mom I-” Emma began, before being cut off by her mother. 

“Now, we better get going, we don’t want to miss out on too much tonight.” Her mother give Emma a light smile and Emma rose to embrace her. As much as her mother and her sometimes quarrelled, she could tell that despite everything, her mother truly did love and care for her. 

“Thank you.” Emma whispered as their hug broke apart.

“You’re welcome, Emma. Now, let’s head down there, I’m sure there are many people who are eager to meet you.” Her mom said softly, before taking Emma by the arm, and leading her out of her bedchamber. 

***

The main ballroom of the castle was filled with people by the time that Killian and his brother arrived. The large ballroom was lit entirely by candle light, allowing it to emit a warm glow. Music filled the room, as the orchestra played through a complicated waltz that Killian vaguely recognized from another ball he’d attended in the past, and people danced in the centre of the ballroom to the melodies as they echoed throughout the space. There was something so comforting about the atmosphere to him. Perhaps it was the people, the energy they held as they conversed and flitted about the large space, or perhaps it was the music, the way the the tempo held up and seemed to fill the space with life. Either way, something about the entire atmosphere provided Killian with the comforting feeling of nostalgia, of warmth, of welcome and home. 

So absorbed by the grandeur of it all, Killian turned to find that Liam no longer stood by his side. Without his brother’s company he stood awkwardly, unaware of where to turn next. Slowly he made his way into the middle of the room, in search of his brother. Moments later he found himself watching the dancers as they performed their waltz in the middle of the ballroom; something about their movements was so delicate, so captivating, that he couldn’t help but be absorbed by them. As the waltz came to a close, a figure emerging down the large marble staircase of the ballroom caught his eye, and he turned his attention to it instead. 

A girl about his age, dressed in all white, floated down the staircase; or at least, she seemed to float. At her side, a woman with short, brown hair, who Killian decided must have been her mother. He tried his best to observe her as she made her way down the stairwell, though his view became obstructed as the waltzers commenced their next routine. 

“Ah, there you are, brother.” Killian was startled out of his trance that had been brought upon by the girl in white, by Liam’s hand on his shoulder. 

“I’d been looking for you.” Liam said as Killian turned to face him, his mind still occupied by thoughts of the girl, “Are you enjoying yourself Killian?”

He had to meet her. That much he knew. He’d never seen a girl so beautiful, so celestial as this one. There was something about her, the way she walked with such humble grace and elegance that drew him to her, that made him hunger to know more about her. 

“Killian?” His brother shook his shoulder, causing Killian to snap out of his reverie once more.

“Brother you have stars in your eyes.” There was a slight hint of teasing in Liam's tone, eliciting a small smile in return from Killian. 

“That girl,” Killian said, turning his attention once more to the girl, who had now made her way down to the ballroom floor and was talking to a man with light brown hair, ”That girl, I have to meet her.”

“Ah, well good luck with that brother - she’s the queen’s daughter, so I might recommend you get in line with all the other fellow's your age who are looking to meet her as well.” Liam said with a lighthearted chuckle, and ever so slowly Killian could feel his heart sink deeper into his chest with the knowledge that he didn’t stand a chance with the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. 

“Don’t take it too hard Killian,” Liam said, obviously detecting his brother’s anguish, “There’s plenty of other girls out there. Plus, you’re only fifteen, you’re hardly old enough to start courting.” As disappointed as Killian was to hear it, his brother did have a point. “Now, try your best to enjoy yourself tonight. We are here to celebrate Killian, to have a good time. Try to join in.” 

With that, Killian nodded, and made his way into the centre of the room. And, with the commencement of the next waltz, Killian joined in. 

***

The waltz began slowly, with one or two gentle violins commencing the melody, and a cello joining in a couple moments later. Emma was far too used to this particular waltz, in fact she knew all of the waltzes at this point. She’d had plenty of practice with each ball that she went to, and at this point they were all the same - the same people in the same dresses dancing the same dances to the same music eating the same boring food. Except for the various suitors, nothing about it was ever new.

So, on this particular night, she danced the same waltz that she’d memorized inside and out. It was like most waltzes - you start with one partner and by the time the dance has finished, you’ve passed through the hand of a good majority of the dancers, and finish with a different partner than you started with. Slowly she floated from dancer to dancer, each one taking her by the hand and twirling her every which way. The music began to pick up slowly, the tempo getting faster and faster as it continued on. 

Her world became a blur as she was tossed from one partner to the next, and she could barely catch her breath in between partners before being handed over to the next one. The movement of her feet sped up, and she was forced to go faster, spin faster, move faster as she twirled round the circle. She could feel her dress flowing with each movement, spinning in and out as she moved in between partners. Everything spun and as she reached the final few bars of the dance, her legs felt as though they might collapse from exhaustion. She was handed over from her previous partner to her final partner as the song continued to speed to a close. She could barely even catch a glimpse of her current partner’s face, as she was increasingly focused on the movement of her feet in an attempt to keep of with the pace. With one final twirl, the song came to an abrupt end, and she could feel her partner’s steady hands catch her waist in an attempt to stop the momentum she’d gained from spinning so fast. 

She could feel her heart stop as she looked up to her partner to find a pair of eyes the colour of the sea greeting her in return. Something within her chest constricted, and it was as if with one look into this stranger’s eyes, she’d forgotten how to breathe. Like the small world that she lived in had suddenly stopped spinning, like time itself had stopped altogether. With one glance into the sea blue eyes that she could so easily get lost in, everything had changed. She could feel her cheeks flood with warmth, her hand where it met his tingling with the sensation of his touch. 

***

And suddenly, the girl in white was in his arms. The girl in all her ethereal beauty, with strands of loosely curled golden hair falling down the side of her neck, the girl who’d been walking down the staircase not too long ago, the girl who he would never have a chance with, was in his arms, staring up into his eyes. 

“I-” She began, before stopping mid-sentence, her mouth slightly parted. 

“Uh - Killian. I’m Killian.” He rushed through his words, stuttering a little bit the first time he tried to utter his name. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, it’s rhythm beating its course throughout his entire body. 

“Emma.” She said with a soft smile, her cheeks flooding with colour. 

“It’s… nice to meet you Emma.” He said awkwardly, noticing that he still had his hand wrapped around her waist, her other hand in his. Slowly he pulled away from her, creating some space between them. All the other dancers had dispersed following the dance, and they were the only two remaining, standing in the middle of the ballroom floor. 

“It’s night to meet you too, Killian.” She said, giving a slight curtsey and a bow of her head. 

“So… um.. do you have these dances often Em-” Killian began before being abruptly cut off by the woman with short brown hair who’d accompanied Emma down the staircase. 

“Emma! There you are, I’ve been looking all over for you - oh, who’s this?” The woman said, turning to Killian. 

“Uh, Mother, this is Killian. Killian this is my mother.” She said softly, gesturing to introduce the two of them.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Killian,” the woman said hastily before turning back to Emma, “There’s a couple possible suitors here to meet you, so say goodbye to your friend, and then come meet me by the stairwell.” She said, before turning and walking the other direction, leaving Emma and Killian alone once more. 

“I… I have to go.” She whispered. 

“Wait,” Killian stopped her as she began to turn from him, “These suitors, that you have to go meet, do you.. do you like meeting them?” He knew he was wrong to stop her, to keep her from following her mother’s wishes, but he had to talk to her, if even for a minute more. 

“My mother likes me to meet them.” she said softly, her eyes drifting towards the floor. 

“Yes but… do you like meeting them?”

“It doesn’t really matter what I like.”

“Well, it should. It’s your life, after all.” He knew he was being too invasive, but there was a sort of sadness about her that he couldn’t help but want to fix. 

***

“I… I have to go.” Emma uttered once more. She knew her mother would be over there, waiting impatiently, but there was nothing more that she wanted than to stay and talk to Killian. She also knew that if she left him, she’d likely never see him again - he wasn’t one of the regular attendees, which meant that the next time there was a ball like this, he most likely wouldn’t be there. 

“But… If you wanted to… if you’re interested I… I’ll be in the castle garden an hour before sunrise.” She could not think of a single thing her mother would be more disapproving of, sneaking out of her bedchamber at such a late hour to go meet a boy she’d just met, let alone the fact that they would be completely on their own. 

“You mean, you want me to meet you there?” He raised one of his eyebrows in curiosity, as he said this. 

“No… I’m just saying that I’ll be there, and if you happen to be there at the same time… well then maybe we could continue our conversation.”

“I think I’d like that.” He says softly, and with this, she gives him a slight smile, before turning away to go meet her mother, her heart still pounding in her chest as a remnant of their encounter.


End file.
